


New Year

by valenstrange



Series: The Times Tomo Comforted Shingo [1]
Category: Johnny's Entertainment, Jpop, SMAP
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24070750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valenstrange/pseuds/valenstrange
Summary: Tomo comforting Shingo on the night 2016 ended and SMAP disbanded.
Relationships: Katori Shingo/Yamashita Tomohisa
Series: The Times Tomo Comforted Shingo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736548
Kudos: 1





	New Year

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on January 1, 2017, as my way of dealing with SMAP's disbandment. I didn't dare to post it then because we were all hurt and in denial. Also we eventually learned what Shingo was actually doing that New Year's, and it was luckily rather hopeful than sad.
> 
> However, before I realized, I have been writing fics with a similar theme: Tomo comforting Shingo. Thus the new series, and the first piece of it was undeniably this one.

_It's 2017._ Tomo couldn't stop thinking about this all night, and it had nothing to do with the fact he appeared on a countdown show. This time the New Year meant something else. He knew his feelings were nowhere near to what those five were going through, but sharing his life with one of them made him feel pretty much involved.

He couldn't stop thinking about him. Even though he knew he wasn't alone, he was worried about him. He wanted to be by his side now more than ever, but work was work. He did an awful job, though. He couldn't find the tune of his own song, the one he probably sang the most times in his life, and he got scolded after the show for not smiling enough when the camera focus wasn't on him. But for this once, he couldn't care less. Both his heart and thoughts were somewhere else.

_He's alright. He's with his family. He hasn't gotten to greet the new year with them since he was a child. He might even be having fun._

These were the sentences Tomo kept repeating as he went to pay his first shrine visit of the new year with his colleagues. Wrapped Shingo's huge coat he stole from his boyfriend's apartment without asking. It felt like Shingo's scent was hugging him, and that always helped him calm down. All he wanted was going home at last, but it was a tradition to go together after the countdown, so he couldn't just refuse it.

It got quite late by the time he arrived home. Opening the door he heard a suspicious noise so he kicked his shoes off immediately and hit the lights on in the joint dining and living room. The source of the noise sat up on the coach, hair messy and face swollen, obviously just woke up.

"Shingo?" Tomo asked, not believing his eyes.

The addressed man ran his fingers through his hair, trying to arrange his newly short mops he totally wasn't used to yet. "Sorry, I fell asleep..."

"Wait, what?" Tomo looked at him confused. "Why are you _here_?"

"I didn't want to scare you when you step into the bedroom with sleeping there, so I decided to wait for you here. Obviously failed." Shingo gave up and just ruffled his hair with his hand, then looked up to his boyfriend and gave him a weak smile. He obviously din't understand what exactly Tomo was asking.

"You could have sent me a message then! I would have come home straight away!" Tomo said while taking off the coat he stole from Shingo's apartment for the night and placing it on one of the chairs. Shingo didn't even react anything to it though normally he would definitely tease Tomo for it.

"No, you had work and responsibilities. Ah, right, good job today! And Happy New Year!"

"Thank you... Happy New Year to you, too. Or something like that." Tomo laughed nervously as he reached the coach, just awkwardly standing in front of it. All he wished for today was Shingo not to be alone, and this was exactly what he came home for. "Weren't you supposed to be at your parents' place tonight, though?"

"I was there. Until like half past one or so. By that time everyone was going to sleep. My brother went home with his family. So I decided to come home, too..." Shingo's voice got more and more quiet, Tomo could hardly hear the last sentence.

But it hit him anyway. As his brother went home with his family, Shingo decided to come home to his own. He could have just gone home to his own apartment if it had been about going home only. But he didn't, he was waiting for Tomo here instead. Even though they probably won't ever have a paper to prove it, by now he meant Shingo's own family. Home for Shingo was where Tomo was. Realizing this came together with the feeling of responsibility for this man he loved, stronger than ever.

Tomo looked at the big man sitting on his coach, looking like nothing but a wounded little boy.

"Shall we take a bath and sleep?" he asked finally. Shingo nodded.

Taking a bath at 4 am wasn't really something they would have normally done, but Tomo couldn't think about anything else comforting at the moment.

"I'll prepare the bath then. Will be back in a minute!"

On his way back Tomo stopped to find pajamas for Shingo in the fresh laundry. His boyfriend didn't look like he had any intentions to go and get one from his own apartment, even though it was right next door, and Tomo didn't want to leave him alone for longer than neccessary either. Normally they kept their clothes in their separate apartments - mostly because Shingo was very particular about his incredibly amount of _stuff_ -, but sleeping at each other's place all the time resulted in mixed laundry.

Tomo found Shingo reading his English movie magazine when he arrived back to the living room.

"I can still understand a few things!" explained Shingo upon hearing the familiar footsteps. "I couldn't make sentences anymore though."

"We can practice together, if you want." Tomo smiled, sitting down besides his boyfriend, just running his hand down his back.

"Nah, that would be very awkward!" Shingo shook his head and closed the magazine. Instead he leaned to his boyfriend, letting the smaller man hold him, closing his eyes.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, until they heared the whistle notifier of the bath being ready.

Slow kisses while washing each other's bodies, filled with care and love rather than lust. Shingo stepped into the bathtub first, relaxing his body in the hot water. It was the first New Years in forever when he didn't move, so he couldn't understand why his body felt so heavy. Maybe his muscles were missing that special exercise that year end shows meant. _Well, they will have to get used to it now,_ the bitter thought crossed his mind immediately.

Meanwhile Tomo joined him in the tub, but instead of having Shingo embrace him from behind like they usually did, he awkwardly lied down besides Shingo, throwing an arm around the bigger man's shoulders. He wanted to be the one holding his boyfriend, not the other way around. He wanted to comfort him, but the difference between in the size of their bodies to Shingo's advantage was not in his help.

Shingo laughed. "Just come here!" he said, placing Tomo to his usual place, wrapping his arms around him. Tomo felt a bit regretful not being able to hug or kiss his boyfriend whom he intended to comfort. But it didn't seem to bother Shingo. The older man sighed and buried his face in his boyfriend's neck, so Tomo tilted his head to meet his.

"I wanted to watch you... but I just couldn't bring myself to. Sorry... How did it go?" asked Shingo after a few minutes of silence.

"You didn't miss anything. It went awful. And I only sang like three minutes during the whole thing anyway."

"Nah, I'm sure you shined, golden boy!" joked Shingo and Tomo didn't know what to say. He didn't want to tell him that he was all his thoughts thus couldn't concentrate on the show at all, because that would have just made Shingo feel guilty.

"What were you doing?" he asked instead.

"Playing board games," Shingo laughed, "it was awkward. Probably the first time for my family not watching Kouhaku."

"Board games sound nice to me, though."

"Yeah, well," Shingo shrugged.

Tomo turned around in Shingo's arms, so he could kiss him. The older man tightened his arms around him after their lips parted.

Being so close while completely naked, but Shingo's body didn't show any signs of want. Tomo understood he was probably too depressed and tired for that, so he was able fight back his own unintended lustful thoughts, too.

The pleasantly hot water and having Tomo in his arms indeed managed to help Shingo relax a bit. He was technically half asleep when Tomo proposed to get out of the bath and move to the bed.

Tomo helped his sleepy lover out of the tub to make sure he won't accidentally slip. Throwing a towel over his head and shoulders, he pulled him down for a kiss.

Taking Shingo to bed and slipping under the sheets next to him after going around and switching off the lights in the apartment. Shingo curled up to his side, resting his head on the smaller man's shoulder. Tomo reached out for Shingo's hand and interlaced their fingers, running his other hand into Shingo's hair.

"I'm afraid I'll be a totally different someone when I wake up," Shingo whispered.

"You won't be," replied Tomo, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend's head. "Those 28 years are something no one can take away from you. Ever. Come what may."

"But it won't feel like me anymore." The older man's shoulders trembled, obviously trying hard to fight back his tears. Tomo just thightened his hug around him.

And with that, Shingo couldn't hold it back anymore. Silent sobbing filled the pitch dark room. Tomo held him without a word, only trying to give him some comfort through caresses and kisses to his head. He knew he couldn't say anything to fix this, the best he could do was letting Shingo be weak while making sure he knew he had him by his side. He couldn't have told how long it took until Shingo cried himself to sleep. He didn't let go off him even after, his embrace only lost from its strength when finally he fell asleep, too.


End file.
